I battled stress and anxiety for DECADES. The symptoms were so severe that it was affecting jobs, my relationships and my happiness.

I was in serious denial despite the chest pain, non-epileptic seizures and the temporary paralysis I experienced off and on for years due to stress. Those around me typically didn’t know what to do and several times the paramedics would be called when the symptoms intensified. Being carted out of where I worked by the paramedics was not only scary but embarrassing. Every time a seizure happened at work, I would feel defeated and knew another expensive medical bill would likely be headed my way.

I tried various things to get out of the stress loop… counseling, medication, reading books… you name it. But no matter what I did, I still felt stressed out and was plagued with racing thoughts and an overwhelming sense of doom. I felt like I was failing at life. I felt stuck. I knew I needed to make a change but didn’t know what to do next.

While counseling did help me, I felt like I needed something more to move from just talking about my problems to actually taking action. I started coaching myself -- and while at a medical appointment with ongoing chest pain from stress -- I had the realization, "How would I coach a client in this scenario?"

A life-changing thought came next. I asked myself, "What is my body telling me I need to do?" I had all of the telltale signs of stress and knew I needed to take action and that I couldn't live like that anymore. I chose to honor my body and mind, and the next day I gave my two weeks' notice with the intent of finding another job.

But God has a sense of humor. After what I thought was my last day of work, I received a call from a manager and ended up being promoted with a raise in a different department. That leap of faith allowed me to go from being super stressed to feeling at peace on a regular basis in my new job role.

That life change wasn't the only thing that helped me go from chaos to calm: I also had started living more intentionally and getting more serious in my walk with God and following Jesus on a deeper level.

In that journey, I started actively pursuing my life's purpose. I am now sharing what I learned to help other women make the necessary changes to live a healthier and happier life.